Siblings, Amnesia, and Assassins
by CloudSkylark18
Summary: Akiri is an assassin with morals. Robin is a tactician with no memory. Willow is Robin's twin sister, and is also missing her memory. All three have one thing in common; Chrom trusted them and took them in. OC x Male!Robin, Gaius x Fem!Robin, Chrom x Sumia, and multiple other pairings. On Hiatus
1. A Brief Word

A Brief Word

The things we have in common are often far and few between, but this was not the case for three of the heroes of Ylisse. Their common ground was in the form of the prince of Ylisse, who trusted them and would have risked his life for them. The first was the Chief Tactician of the Shepards whose memory was missing. The second was the twin sister of the Tactician, who also had amnesia. And the third was an assassin with morals, and a code of honor… sort of. This is their moment, and their story.


	2. Ties That Bind

Ties That Bind

 _The Tactician_

The final battle was upon us, and it was proving to be our toughest battle yet. The man we were fighting was talented; wielding his tome with an ease that spoke mastery. I myself was handy with a tome, but not to the extent of man before us. I watched as a man with blue hair charged our opponent. He swung his blade, but was met with magical deflection at every turn and even had to dodge a spell that the other man cast. I prepared to cast a spell of my own, but the man disappeared. I cursed, but the stranger with the sword pointed to the ceiling.

"Up there!" he called out. I was forced to dodge as a spell was sent my way, and though the angle was bad I released the spell I'd been in the process of casting.

"You fool!" my opponent mocked as the spell merely grazed him if anything. Then he vanished again, only to ram into my comrade, blue sparks coating his body, breaking apart a pillar from the force of the blow. Then our foe began to cast another spell, intent on taking out the man with blue hair. The moment he let it fly I sent my own spell to clash with it, but I wasn't the only one. As my electricity made contact with the purple ball of energy, and orb of fire also made contact. A small explosion resulted, and when the dust settled the foe we were facing gave me a look that showed annoyance if not a bit of mild impression.

"Chrom, are you okay?" a woman's voice said, and I looked towards my injured comrade. He was on his feet, and nodding to a young woman who looked to be about the same age as me. Her hair was black and pulled into a high pony tail as well as being braided along the sides. Her deep blue eyes showed concern for the man who was fighting alongside us.

"I'm fine Willow, but we're not done yet," the man, Chrom said, "How are you holding up *****?"

"Just fine," I said, "Now let's end this!"

"I couldn't agree more," Willow said grinning. With that we launched into another flurry of blows. Willow started with another fire spell before leaping in with her dagger flashing. Chrom backed her up from close range; guarding her while she casted and leaping in to help her when her blade came out. I stayed back and fired off a Thoron spell. Even with all three of us fighting it still seemed as though our foe had the upper hand. Then something shifted, and Willow landed the first blow. Chrom was next though he narrowly avoided what was probably a lethal blow. Then my Thoron found its mark, though I would have been caught in our foe's counter-spell if Willow hadn't deflected it with one of her own.

For a time it went on like this and the three of us suffered minor wounds. Willow had a shallow gash on her arm and was limping after twisting away from the same attack that had left her wounded. Chrom had minor cuts on his arms face. I, myself would likely have a scar under my left eye as well as a wound to my side that would need attention after we finished here. Willow suddenly threw her dagger, and the blade lodged itself in our foe's shoulder. The man bit back a sound of pain and a curse as he sent his magic at the offending fighter. I managed to block it with a well-placed Thoron, before sending another straight at the blade protruding from the man's shoulder. He let out a howl of agony as the electricity traveled through the blade into him. Before he could recover Chrom struck; his blade piercing the man's heart.

The man let out a strangled sound as Chrom pulled away, allowing his body to fall. Our foe was wreathed in a purple flame. Chrom sent me a look of relief, but it wasn't over yet. Our fallen foe suddenly reared up and sent a spell straight for Chrom.

"This isn't over!" the man cried as the attacked hurtled straight towards my comrade, "D*** you all!"

Before the spell hit Chrom I pushed him out of the way. A scream caught in my throat, but I wasn't about to give my opponent the satisfaction of knowing how much it hurt. My vision went white, and I was dimly aware of flying through the air. The moment I landed Chrom, and Willow rushed to my side.

"*****, are you okay?" Willow asked. I managed a weak nod, though something felt off. Chrom helped me to stand.

"That's the end of him," Chrom said; it was easy to tell he was relieved, "Thanks to you and Willow we carried the day."

"Yeah, we can finally rest easy, right Chrom?" Willow asked with a smile.

"Yeah, at long last," Chrom replied. Suddenly my vision became clouded with red; a bit of purple was mixed in. I watched helplessly as Chrom and Willow sent me worried looks.

"*****, what wrong?" Willow asked her voice laced with panic.

"Hey, hang on-" Chrom let out a choked sound, and Willow screamed. My vision returned to normal as Chrom backed away from me. His hand was at his chest where a blade of electricity was buried. Blood was pouring from the wound, and a crackling sound brought my attention to my hand. Sparks were starting to fade as I looked at my gloved appendage. My hand began to shake as I looked back at Chrom.

"This is not your… your fault," Chrom spoke through the pain, "Promise me… you'll escape from this place. Please go…" Chrom trailed off as he collapsed. I wanted to cry, or maybe be sick but instead I backed away from my fallen comrade. I turned to see Willow's shocked face from where she knelt on the ground. I swallowed, and turned away; running from the sight, but I hadn't gotten far when my vision went black. The last thing I heard was the sound of our opponent's laughter; echoing around my head.

* * *

 **Me: So there was Chapter One. I don't own Fire Emblem: Awakening or the characters therein. However, I do own my OCs and this particular story ideas. With that being said I hope you all will enjoy this story. I promise to do my best to update regularly, and make this story as good as I possibly can.**


	3. Preview

Preview

 _'What am I doing outside?'_ I thought, my eyes flying open. My mind was fuzzy, and the more I tried to think of how ended up here the worse my headache got. I ended up staring at the sky for a while as the clouds rolled past overhead. Nothing made sense, and with my memory acting up on me I doubted anything would soon.

…

"Where do you think you're going with my brother?!" she shouted angrily. I spun around, and took in her appearance. She wore a cloak similar to mine, though that was where the similarities ended. Her hair was pulled into a pony tail and braided along each side; plus it was black. Her eyes were dark blue, and currently narrowed.

"Willow, is that you?" I asked in disbelief. She sent me a look that was both relieved, and concerned.

"'Course it is," she said nodding a bit, "Just what's going on here anyway?"

…

The man with blue hair admonished the other quietly, but with authority, "The land is known as the Halidom of Ylisse. Our ruler, Emmeryn, is called the exalt. I suppose introductions are in order…" he trailed off for a moment, "my name is Chrom- but then, you already knew that."

"Umm… I didn't" I offered. The man cracked a smile before continuing.

"Yes well, the delicate one here is my little sister Lissa," the blue haired man said. The blond girl, who'd somehow gotten off the horse at some point, glared at him.

"I am _not_ delicate!" Lissa huffed a bit, "Ignore my brother, please. He can be a bit thick sometimes," I snickered a little, "But you're lucky the Shepherds found you. Brigands would have been a rude awakening!"

I shared a glance with my brother before I spoke, "Shepherds? You tend sheep? … In full armor?"

"How peculiar," my brother said.

The man with blue hair laughed, "Heh, it's a dangerous job. Just ask Frederick the wary here."

…

I shifted a bit, and that's when the branch let out a creak. I stiffened, and held my breath but then the branch snapped. I let loose a silent curse, all the while screaming as I fell. After hitting most of the branches on the way down I was jolted to a stop. The world was upside down, and the group of five were staring at me. I swallowed before smiling awkwardly.

"Um… would any of you mind giving me a hand?" I asked, "I appear to be stuck."

"What were you doing in a _tree_?!" Lissa asked.

"Sleeping… for the most part," I admitted, "Then you all came along and woke me up. So, then now that you know, could I get some help?"

"Of course," Chrom said after a moment, "Just hold on one second."

"Milord," Frederick said and I tensed a bit, "I suggest you hold off on helping _this_ stranger for a moment."

"Don't mind me I'm just hanging here," I said, "But if you're worried about me being a stranger, the name's Akiri."

Chrom looked between me and the two wearing similar cloaks, "Robin, Willow and Akiri? Are those foreign?" he asked; I didn't know about the other two but mine definitely was, "Ah, well. We can discuss it later. We're almost to town."

Before he could help me down Frederick stopped him, "I wouldn't be taking _this_ Akiri anywhere with us without chains. She wears the crest of an assassins guild."

* * *

 **Me: I know it's not really an update, but I wanted to give you all a little taste of what's to come. Also just so you don't get frustrated with my slow update times I want to let you know that each chapter will contain the entirety of a chapter of the game, and I'm working on my _Two Sides of the Wind_. So please bear with me and leave a review in the box below, and if you want more previews for later chapters just let me know. Thanks for reading, until next time sayonara.**


	4. The Verge of History

The Verge of History

 _Willow_

My head was pounding and my entire body ached. I shifted trying to alleviate the pain, but it didn't help. Of course lying on the ground without a bedroll probably wasn't the best idea anyway. Then at that moment of realization came a thought.

 _'What am I doing outside?'_ I thought, my eyes flying open. My mind was fuzzy, and the more I tried to think of how I ended up here the worse my headache got. I ended up staring at the sky for a while as the clouds rolled past overhead. Nothing made sense, and with my memory acting up on me I doubted anything would soon. After a bit I turned my attention from the sky and slowly pushed myself into a sitting position. With that done I looked around trying to get my bearings, but nothing jumped out. However, there was one thing my observations had told me; I was utterly alone. That was both a comfort, and a cause for worry.

The comfort came from the fact that I hadn't been kidnapped or mugged. The worry was of course that if I didn't find someone soon… well, I could very well die out here. Then I heard the whinny of a horse. It sounded close, but that could've been a trick of the wind. Still I stood and began walking in the direction it had come from.

 _The Tactician_

Darkness was what I was first conscious to. I could feel the sun beating down on me, which was odd because I couldn't remember being outside. Though thinking about it I couldn't really remember anything at all. I lay there and tried to piece everything together as clouds drifted by overhead occasionally bathing me in shadow. Unfortunately all that got me was a pounding head. So I chose to simply stay there and hopefully everything would come back to me. I'm not sure how long I lay there, but it was long enough to almost slip back into unconsciousness. Thankfully, something caught my attention before I could.

It was the sound of hooves, and hidden under that the sound of human feet. There were people coming my way. I decided to feign sleep in order to figure out what they wanted.

"Hey, what's that?" a young woman's voice called out. I wasn't sure why brigands or bandits (not that there's much of a difference) would have a woman among them, but I still wasn't about to reveal that I was awake. I could hear someone dismounting, and the whinny of a horse. Then three sets of footsteps headed my way. They stopped just shy of me, and shifted a bit. I figured they were probably trying to figure out if I was alone or bait. They seemed to think I was safe enough because the girl spoke again.

"…We have to do _something_ ," she said, "Who knows how long he's been lying here."

"What do you propose we do?" a man asked. I suspected this must be who she was talking to. Something about his voice struck me as familiar; I'd heard it before of that much I was sure. Against my better judgement I cracked my eyes open a bit, but that only gave me a blurry view of the two people standing over me.

"I… I dunno," the girl said. I opened my eyes a bit more and shifted. I mentally cursed when they looked over at me. But I was surprised that they seemed to be relieved that I was alive.

"I see you're awake now," the man said. I almost gasped in realization because somehow I did recognize him.

"Hey there," the girl said. She had blond hair pulled into a pair of high pig tails. She wore an off-yellow dress with long sleeves, and a pair of nice brown boots. I inclined my head in her direction.

"There're better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know," the blue haired man said with a smile, "Give me your hand."

As I reached out for his gloved one I noticed that I had a strange purple mark on the back of my hand. It was shaped like a thin 'u' with eye shaped designs; three on each side. But I wasn't the only one with a strange mark because the man had one too, located on his right shoulder. Once I'd gotten a firm grip on the guy's hand he hauled me to my feet.

"You all right?" he asked once I'd found my center of balance.

"Y-yes…" I said my voice a bit raspy from disuse, "Thank you, Chrom."

"Ah, then you know who I am?" the blue haired man said. I could tell he was more on guard than he'd been moments ago. So was the man behind him and he was giving me a narrow eyed look. But I had no idea where the name had come from.

"No actually, I… it's strange…" I trailed off for a minute trying to think if I'd ever heard the name before, but nothing jumped out, "Your name, it just… came to me."

Chrom hummed thoughtfully before speaking, "How curious. Tell me, what's your name? What brings you here?"

"My name is…" I trailed off puzzled, "It's… hmm?"

"You don't remember your own name?" Chrom asked. I wracked my brain, but it proved futile as my name stayed buried wherever it was hidden. Then something else struck me; I had no idea where I was.

"I'm not sure if…" I trailed off looking around, "I'm sorry, but where am I, exactly?"

The girl startled, "Hey, I've heard of this! It's called amnesia!"

The man with brown hair scoffed, "It's called a load of pegasus dung. We're to believe you remember milord's name, but not your own?"

I could understand the man's skepticism; I wouldn't have believed me if I were in his place. Still it was the truth, as unbelievable as it was.

"B-but it's the truth!" I mentally cursed my stutter. Still stuttering might be better than an even voice; it helped to make my situation more believable.

Chrom held up a placating hand before muttering something to his companion. The brown haired man sighed, but said something that seemed to count as permission. Then Chrom spoke up.

"Right then- we'll take him back to town and sort this out there," I looked between the three of them before finding my voice.

"Wait just one moment. Do I have a say in this?" I asked incredulously. Chrom laughed and raised his hands in another placating fashion.

"Peace friend- I promise we'll hear all you have to say back in town. Now come," I could hear the authority in his voice, so I wasn't about to question him again. However, before we could go anywhere someone called out from behind us.

"Hey, wait just a minute!" the voice was female, and familiar to me; even more so than Chrom's. However, I couldn't place it right away.

"Who…" Chrom peered over my shoulder as the stern-looking man glared at me.

"I believe we've been tricked milord," he said in an almost self-satisfied way. I shook my head, and opened my mouth to deny it but the girl called out again.

"Where do you think you're going with my brother?!" she shouted angrily. I spun around, and took in her appearance. She wore a cloak similar to mine, though that was where the similarities ended. Her hair was pulled into a pony tail and braided along each side; plus it was black. Her eyes were dark blue, and currently narrowed.

"Willow, is that you?" I asked in disbelief. She sent me a look that was both relieved, and concerned.

"'Course it is," she said nodding a bit, "Just what's going on here anyway?"

"Well," I began, "We're supposed to be heading into town in order to sort somethings out."

Willow cocked her head to the side before she spoke again, "Oh, well then I suppose I'll have to come along too."

Chrom looked between the two of us confused before nodding, "That would definitely be helpful."

"I thought it might be," Willow said cheekily, "Well, then lead the way good sir."

And with that being said Chrom took the lead while the brown hair man helped the blond girl onto his horse before taking the reins. Willow and I shared a silent look; each promising to look out for the other if things got bad.

 _The Assassin_

I was bored out of my mind. The reason was because I'd been sitting in a tree for hours waiting for my targets. I was told they'd been spotted in the area, and so I'd decided that waiting in a tree to ambush them was the best plan. Unfortunately, my opinion quickly changed when I realized I hadn't bothered to ask how long ago they'd last been sighted. Hence, the reason I was bored, cramped and tired. With nothing better to do I decided that it wouldn't hurt for me to take a nap. So, I closed my eyes and drifted back to sealing the contract.

 _*flashback/dream*_

 _"So these targets, what do they do?" I asked. The man shifted nervously and my eyes narrowed to slits. Something about this seemed fishy, but then perhaps he'd heard of my reputation._

 _"They're shepherds they are," the man said. I quirked an eyebrow._

 _"Shepherds… and why pray tell do you wish me to attack innocent people?" I asked suspicion clear in my voice. The man swallowed before replying._

 _"They ain't innocent," he said, "They're thieving scum what stole some great treasure from my master."_

 _"So, your master sent you to find me," I deduced hiding my suspicion under a mask of indifference, "In hopes that I might retrieve said treasure, and deal with the miscreants in the process."_

 _"That's it exactly," the man said relieved that I seemed to understand the situation, "You'll be rewarded quite handsomely as well for the rendered services."_

 _"Very well, give me their information and I'll be on my way," I said in a bored fashion. The man let out a sigh before giving me their information. My targets were two men and a young woman. They'd last been seen around Southtown heading even farther south. With that firmly in mind I took the partial payment that I always required before taking a job, and then headed south._

 _*flashback end*_

And that led me to the point where I was sitting in a tree completely bored, and tired beyond belief. Of course the moment I decided to get comfortable is the moment that my targets decided to show up. As it was though instead of the three I'd been told about there were five. The first man had blue hair and carried an ornate sword. The next held the reins of a horse on which a girl with blond hair sat. This girl seemed to be in deep conversation with the man who held the reins. The last two wore garments so similar that I had to wonder what their relationship was.

The first was a young man with white hair. He seemed unsure of his surroundings, and more than a little tense. The second was another girl. Her hair was black, and she kept glancing around with dark blue eyes full of curiosity. As luck would have it the group came to a stop right under my tree. I was quick to adjust my position to one that allowed me to listen in, and stay steady at the same time.

 _Willow_

We'd been walking for quite some time so I was secretly glad when my brother came to a stop. I could tell that he was still concerned of our fate, especially with me being here; he'd always been protective of me (which drove me crazy more often than not).

"What will you do with us?" my brother asked, "Are we to be your prisoners?"

I jumped a little, "Is that what this is?! But we've done nothing wrong!"

"Hah!" the man with blue hair said, "You'll both be free to go once we establish that neither of you are enemies of Ylisse."

"Ylisse?" I asked. The name didn't sound familiar, but it also didn't sound unfamiliar.

"Is that where we are?" my brother asked. The man with brown hair laughed as though he'd just heard a joke, but didn't find it particularly funny.

"You've never heard of the halidom? Ha! Someone pay these actors," he said, "They play quite the fools."

"Hey, that's just mean!" I said indignantly, though the man just ignored me.

"The furrowed brows are especially convincing," the man said dark eyes searching for a slip that would never come.

The man with blue hair admonished the other quietly, but with authority, "The land is known as the Halidom of Ylisse. Our ruler, Emmeryn, is called the exalt. I suppose introductions are in order…" he trailed off for a moment, "my name is Chrom- but then, you already knew that."

"Umm… I didn't" I offered. The man cracked a smile before continuing.

"Yes well, the delicate one here is my little sister Lissa," the blue haired man said. The blond girl, who'd gotten off the horse at some point, glared at him.

"I am _not_ delicate!" Lissa huffed a bit, "Ignore my brother, please. He can be a bit thick sometimes," I snickered a little, "But you're lucky the Shepherds found you. Brigands would have been a rude awakening!"

I shared a glance with my brother before I spoke, "Shepherds? You tend sheep? … In full armor?"

"How peculiar," my brother said.

The man with blue hair laughed, "Heh, it's a dangerous job. Just ask Frederick the wary here."

"A title I shall wear with pride," Frederick said standing a little taller, or he seemed to be to me, "Gods forbid one of us keeps an appropriate level of caution."

"But that's no fun," I teased hoping to get a reaction from him. However, my hopes were dashed when Frederick continued as though I'd never interrupted.

"I have every wish to trust you, strangers, but my station mandates otherwise," he said. My brother nodded, and I grudgingly had to admit that he was right to be cautious.

"I understand, sir. I would do no less myself," my brother spoke up, "My name is Robin… I just remembered that. How odd. I suppose that's one mystery solved."

I started and looked at Robin, "Wait you couldn't even remember your own name?!"

"Not until now," my brother said just as confused as I was. Suddenly there was a sound of creaking followed by a loud 'snap' and a scream.

 _The Assassin_

I cursed when I heard my targets introduce themselves. I growled inaudible to those below.

"This job is a complete and utter bust," I hissed to myself, "Those stupid Plegian dogs set me up, and now I won't be able to collect the rest of my money. I suppose that's better than having a mark put on my head. Still maybe I should teach those dogs a lesson."

I shifted a bit, and that's when the branch let out a creak. I stiffened, and held my breath but then the branch snapped. I let loose a silent curse, all the while screaming as I fell. After hitting most of the branches on the way down I was jolted to a stop. The world was upside down, and the group of five were staring at me. I swallowed before smiling awkwardly.

"Um… would any of you mind giving me a hand?" I asked, "I appear to be stuck."

"What were you doing in a _tree_?!" Lissa asked.

"Sleeping… for the most part," I admitted, "Then you all came along and woke me up. So, then now that you know, could I get some help?"

"Of course," Chrom said after a moment, "Just hold on one second."

"Milord," Frederick said and I tensed a bit, "I suggest you hold off on helping _this_ stranger for a moment."

"Don't mind me I'm just hanging here," I said, "But if you're worried about me being a stranger, the name's Akiri."

Chrom looked between me and the two wearing similar cloaks, "Robin, Willow and Akiri? Are those foreign?" he asked; I didn't know about the other two but mine definitely was, "Ah, well. We can discuss it later. We're almost to town."

Before he could help me down Frederick stopped him, "I wouldn't be taking _this_ Akiri anywhere with us without chains. She wears the crest of an assassins guild."

Lissa gasped and looked at me as though she couldn't believe it, "What, really?"

"Well, everyone's got to make a living somehow," I said with a slight shrug, "Besides I have my limits of what I do and don't do."

Frederick didn't look convinced, and everyone else seemed to be on guard now as well. Despite this Chrom still spoke up.

"This isn't the time or place for explanations or interrogations. We'll get you down, but you'll have to come with us to town and answer any questions we might have. Once we-" he was cut off by Lissa who was looking towards Southtown with wide eyes.

"Chrom look!" she yelled pointing to the town, "The town!"

From my upside-down position it was a little difficult to see what was going on, but I managed to make out what could be smoke. Normally that wouldn't have concerned me, but there was quite a bit. That led me to believe that the town had been set ablaze. And apparently I wasn't the only one who thought so.

"D*****! The town is ablaze!" Chrom cursed, "Those blasted brigands, no doubt… Frederick, Lissa! Quickly!"

Without waiting to see if they were following him Chrom began heading towards Southtown.

"What about them?" Frederick asked gesturing to me and Chrom's other travelling companions. Chrom looked over his shoulder agitation clear in his eyes.

"Unless they're on fire as well, it can wait!" the blue haired man said before continuing on his way. Frederick nodded and quickly mounted his horse pulling Lissa up behind him.

"Aptly put, milord," the brunet said as he urged his horse into a run.

"Let's go already!" Lissa said a worried edge to her voice as the two followed her brother, leaving the rest of us behind.

 _Robin_

"But what about-" I called out only to stop when I realized they were already too far away, "Hmm…"

"How rude, they just left us!" Willow huffed before letting out a sigh, "Still I suppose saving the town is more important."

I nodded absently. Willow looked at me, and I knew that she could tell what I was thinking. And she was quick to put my thoughts into words.

"Think they'll need help?" my sister asked. Before I could reply the assassin beat me to it.

"Probably, if there are brigands in town as Chrom suspected," she said certainty in her hazel eyes, "There's only three of them and who knows how many brigands. They'll take down their fair share, but their likely to be overpowered."

I shared a look with Willow. Despite the fact that Akiri was probably an enemy she made a good point. I could tell Willow desperately wanted to head to the town and lend her aide, and truthfully so did I. But I wasn't sure if the two of us would be able to make it to Chrom and the others on our own, but maybe if we had a third member in our party.

"If we get you down will you help us fight for the town?" I asked. Willow looked at me like I was crazy, but we really didn't have another option at the moment.

"I suppose," Akiri said indifference radiating off of her voice, "Besides I might have a score to settle with these invaders."

Willow sighed but moved to grab Akiri's arm, "Well, if we're going to do this let's get to it."

I nodded and grabbed the brown haired girl's other arm. Our first few attempts didn't go quite as planned, though all we were doing was simply pulling on her arms. She cursed a few times and chided us to be more careful. Thankfully I was able to find the problem; the assassin's foot was wedged in between two branches shaped like a 'v'.

"Let's try pulling again Willow," I said. Both the girl's looked at me as though I had two heads.

"I think we've established that pulling won't work Robin," my sister said, "She stuck fast, and we need to hurry or Chrom and the others might be in real trouble."

"She's right you know," Akiri said, "I'll probably still be here when you all finish saving the town. Besides I'd rather not have one leg that's longer than the other."

"That's why we're not going to pull straight down," I said, "If we pull you forward that should free your leg, with no damage other than a few scrapes. Any objections?"

When no answer was forth coming I began executing the plan. Thankfully Willow was quick to lend her assistance once again. It took a few moments but Akiri's leg was finally free, though the force Willow and I'd been applying to our pulls landed us on our rears. But though she'd been upside down and should have landed on her head Akiri was on her feet and ready to move.

"If you're both done catching your breaths I think we should be going now," she said. Willow and I quickly stood and followed her as she led the way into town. I could tell we were getting closer as the smell of smoke became more potent. I was also able to detect the smell of burning wood, clothing and what I feared might be flesh. As we continued on our way Akiri spoke up.

"Okay, before we get too far you should know that most of these men we'll be fighting are practiced thieves and murderers," she said, "They will grant us no quarter, so it's kill or be killed. Are you prepared for that?"

Willow sent her a determined look, "If that's what it takes, then I'll do whatever I can. How about you Robin?"

I nodded, though I wasn't sure if I'd ever had to kill someone or not. Still I wouldn't let anyone hurt my sister. Akiri cracked a half-smile.

"Well, that's good to hear because the town's just ahead," she said. As we stepped into the town we were swept into the chaos. I ducked an axe swing to the head as Akiri leapt over me and the weapon's wielder. She pulled out her own weapons, strange looking knives. As the brunet came down behind the man she slashed him with her blades. He let out a pained howl and turned towards her. Before he could hit her she back-flipped out of the way sending him a taunting look. As he made to charge her I grabbed a short sword from the ground and, with only a slight moment of hesitation, swung and caught him in the leg.

The man howled as his leg buckled beneath him. He tried to stand, but was unable to; all he achieved was to make himself loose blood faster. He sent me such a look of anger and hatred, but beneath it all I could see a trace of fear. Unfortunately this was not the time to be merciful, though I did wish that we could at least find out what they were doing in the town. This man would just end up slowing us down in the long run, plus with the amount of blood he was losing and had lost he likely wouldn't last much longer.

"Watch out!" Akiri's voice broke through my cluttered thoughts. The man had managed to stand and was prepared to kill me. Akiri was too far away to help, and the angle wasn't ideal for her to try throwing he weapons. And caught off guard as I was I knew I wouldn't be able to bring my blade up in time to stop the blow.

"Fire!" Willow's voice rang out and was quickly followed by a flaming orb. It hit the man in the side, and the acrid smell of burning flesh filled the air. I gagged as the man let out an unearthly scream before he fell over. It was clear he was dead. I looked over at my sister. Her eyes were wide, and she looked like she might end up getting sick. I was immediately by her side placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Willow…" I said softly.

 _Willow_

I started when my brother's voice sounded next to my ear. I looked into his gray eyes. So many emotions swam in their dark depths; relief, gratitude, worry. I swallowed dislodging the lump that had somehow formed in my throat.

"I… I'm fine Robin," I said thickly doing my best to keep my voice level for his sake, "Here, I found one for you too," I handed my brother a tome for thunder magic. Robin took it wordlessly, but it was clear he was going to talk with me about this later. We didn't have time for that though, a fact that Akiri made obviously clear.

"Look I know this is going to sound harsh, but we need to get moving," the brunette said, "You can reflect on this moment later, after we aide Chrom and the others."

"Right," I said with a nod. Robin looked between the two of us, but it was clear that he was of the same mind as our ally. With our new found determination the three of us made our way farther into the town. It was easy to see which way Chrom, Lissa and Frederick had gone. Men dressed in the same fashion as the one we'd dealt with lay on the ground dead. I tried not to let my eyes linger on them for very long, but it was hard. I knew that these men would have left others in the same position, but such a waste of human life was pointless. Thankfully, the few men we ran into either ignored us or fled; though it wasn't from us, they were obviously afraid of something or someone else.

It wasn't long before we saw the cause. Close to the town's cathedral Chrom and the others were in the midst of a skirmish. Despite the fact that most of the invaders had been dealt with, the three fighting were still outnumbered. It also didn't help that Lissa appeared to be more versed in healing than in fighting. Regardless of the sick feeling creeping up on me again I began readying a fire spell, but before I could release it Akiri held out an arm.

"Before you do something reckless we should get closer and let those three know that we're here to help," the brown haired woman said, "Otherwise they might think that we're trying to aid the enemy, or they could end up in the crossfire."

"Ah… yes you have a point," I spoke my voice sheepish. With no further words the three of us rushed towards the two groups locked in combat. As we drew closer we ended up catching Chrom's attention. A man tried to take that opportunity to strike, but Akiri was there before he could slashing the thug's throat.

"You shouldn't let something like that distract you," she admonished Chrom her gaze hard.

"You're right, I was just surprised to see you all here," Chrom admitted, "So… why are you?"

"Well, we can fight," Robin said, "I know my way around with a sword, and Willow knows her magic. Plus you've seen Akiri's skills up close just now. And besides the people of this town are innocent; they don't deserve this."

"Robin's right. It just wouldn't be right for us to ignore these people in their time of need," I supplied with a smile. As we spoke Frederick rode up with Lissa in tow.

"Are you alright Milord?" he asked Chrom. The man in question nodded before turning his attention back to us.

"Well, then who am I to refuse such aid? Just be careful," he said setting his sights on a man near the back of group of invaders, "since I'd like to ask you all somethings after this."

"Right, you don't have to worry about us," my brother said. I nodded in agreement, while Akiri briefly glanced at Chrom before launching herself into the fray. With no more time to talk I began chanting an orb of fire bursting into being. The moment it was fully formed I launched into towards the group before me. It hit one of the men dead center in the chest, and an inhuman scream flew from his throat. I winced slightly, but continued hurling fireballs at my foes. Beyond me in the distance Akiri moved gracefully through the horde of enemies; her strange daggers flashing in dying light of the sun. Closer by, but still separated by a sea of bodies I caught a glimpse of my brother hurling lightning at a foe while Chrom guarded his back.

Next to me Frederick's spear struck enemies with the speed of a snake; each and every blow connecting with a body. Lissa's eyes had a grim look to them, but she appeared to be used to this sort of thing. That had me wondering what sorts of things she had to have seen to give her that look at such a young age. I dodged to the side when a man tried to hit me with his blade, but that only put me in the line of fire for a mage who took the chance presented to him. I yelped as the sleeve of my robe caught fire and quickly batted at the fabric. Once my arm was no longer in danger of being charred I sent my own flame back at the offending magic user, who wasn't as lucky as I was.

The battle continued in this fashion for a while longer before the enemy lines slowly began thinning even further. Finally the man who'd hidden behind his allies could be seen clearly. Our small group of six were all in various states of exhaustion. I was panting; a few small scrapes and bruises littering my body. Frederick was mostly fine save for a small scratch on his cheek that had been caused by a bit of rubble, and Lissa was completely unharmed. My brother was leaning up against the wall of the bridge panting as blood ran down the side of his face staining his white locks. Some blood ran down the hand that clutched the sword he'd taken off the brigand we'd seen upon entering this town. Just beyond him Chrom was standing slightly hunched over as the cuts along his arms bled freely. His deep blue gaze fixed on the man who seemed to be in charge of the unorganized mass we'd fought.

Akiri was a little farther off, so I couldn't see if she was wounded or not. Despite the distance though it was clear that she was angry with the man standing before her. The man himself looked both upset and afraid as he met the assassin's gaze.

 _Akiri_

I glared at the man, mentally smirking as sweat started beading on his forehead. Garrick was his name if I remembered right. He was the one who'd come to me with the job. The job that would have had me dispose of Chrom and the others if I hadn't recognized them. I had business with this man.

"So," I said marching up to the man who shuddered under my glare, "thieving shepherds I believe you said. Now either you are an illiterate fool, or you brazenly lied to me. Either way my terms are very clear and I do not tolerate being manipulated. Therefor I can't exactly let you get away with that," I paused for a moment letting him take in my words, "Now I'd normally allow you to live and go on your merry way in order to spread the word of what my terms are, but I'm afraid that won't be possible this time."

"Huh?" Garrick questioned raising a brow.

"Oh, confused are we?" I sent a sarcastic question back at him, "Well, that's not surprising for a dullard like you. See you attacked the innocents of this town, which means I won't be able to let you off lightly."

"Who do you think you're talking wench?" the man growled. I quirked a brow, a smirk slowly spreading across my face.

"I believe I'm talking to the craven that hid behind his own men allowing them to be slaughtered; the man who also lied to Akiri of the Dark Rose Guild," I spoke, "Now do you wish to die fast or slow. Personally I have no opinion though you don't exactly deserve a fast death."

"You b****!" Garrick howled lunging at me. I cursed mentally; he was faster than I thought. I was barely able to bring my sais up to block the fall of his axe. My arms went numb from the force of the blow. This man though a coward, was undeniably strong. I was so focused on the axe bearing down on me from above that I only knew he had another when a fiery pain shot up my side. I heard some shouts as the blood poured from the wound. I snarled, and using the adrenaline coursing through me to shove my opponent back. While he was off balance I surged forward and slashed his arm leaving a deep gash that gushed blood.

That attack though was very draining, and I stumbled back out of his range. Garrick seeing my weakened state leapt after me swinging his axe. I sluggishly brought my own blades up to fend him off, but even as I did I knew I wouldn't be able to block. However, the man let out a guttural howl as a ball of electricity hit him in the chest. While Garrick was stunned Chrom shot forward and cut the man from shoulder to hip. Garrick let out a gargled noise as he fell forward; a pool of blood slowly forming underneath him. My vision was getting fuzzy at the edges, but I was aware of Lissa rushing towards me and casting a healing spell.

 _Robin_

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding as the wound in Akiri's side closed. The assassin still looked rather pale, but at least she wouldn't bleed out now. Though if Lissa had been even a moment late the brown haired woman wouldn't have lived. I surveyed the surrounding area. The town was in utter shambles. These brigands were a sorry lot; attacking innocents like they did. Still I was relieved that most of the citizens looked to be safe if only a little worse for wear.

"Well, that's the end of that," I said relief evident in my voice. If the battle had gone on any longer I don't know if we would've succeeded.

"Lucky for the town, we were close by," Lissa said looking slightly haggard from all the healing she had done in the short span of the battle. I nodded in agreement, while Willow was more vocal.

"Sure was. I don't even want to imagine an alternative," my sister said a slight shiver shaking her frame. I had a feeling that I'd have to be ready to deal with the nightmares that I was sure Willow would have.

"Indeed," Akiri said in a strained voice, though she was looking better than she had a few moments ago.

Lissa nodded and as though a thought had just struck her she spoke up, "But holy wow, Robin! You and your sister were amazing!"

Akiri huffed, then muttered under breath, "Yes, and I suppose I simply sat on the sidelines then," this of course went unheard by Lissa.

"Swords, sorcery, _and_ tactics! Is there anything you can't do?" Lissa asked starry eyed. I smiled uncertainly; unsure of how to respond.

"Well, I can't juggle," Willow said with a little laugh. I shook my head a slight chuckle escaping me. Lissa laughed a bit as well, and Chrom smiled as he spoke.

"Despite that none of you are helpless victims, that much is for sure," he said. Frederick nodded turning his gaze towards me.

"Indeed," the man said, "Perhaps you might even be capable of an explanation for how you came here?"

While his eyes were locked on me I was sure that he was speaking to Willow and Akiri as well.

"I understand your skepticism, Sir Frederick," I began, "And I cannot explain why only some knowledge has returned to me," as I spoke I thought back to the battle. Throughout it all I'd somehow been able to size up the enemies with but a single glance; pinpointing their strength and weaknesses. And in doing so I was able to avoid most injuries, and keep Chrom from harm as well.

I met Frederick's eyes as I continued, "But please, believe me. I have shared all that I know."

Chrom placed a hand on my shoulder a look of comradery in his eyes, "You fought to save Ylissean lives," he glanced at my sister and Akiri, "all of you. My heart says that's enough."

"And your mind, milord?" Frederick asked clearly not pleased, "Will you not heed its counsel as well?"

Chrom rolled his eyes slightly. It was clear that this was a conversation that the two had had many times. Which had me wondering who won most of these… slight arguments.

"Frederick, the Shepherds could use someone with talents like Robin and Willow's. We've brigands and unruly neighbors, all looking to bloody our soil. Would you really have us lose such an able tactician," Chrom gestured to me then Willow, "Or such an able fighter? Besides I believe Robin's story, odd as it might be."

I wasn't sure whether to be worried or grateful for Chrom's words. I settle on the latter for the time being.

"Th-thank you, Chrom," I said.

"We really appreciate it," Willow said before gesturing towards Akiri, "But what about Akiri?"

The assassin jerked, clearly not expecting everyone's attention to be sent her way.

"Huh? Oh, well…" Akiri trailed off looking at Frederick as if trying to figure out the best way to say what she wanted without causing offense.

"She'll be coming along for questioning," Frederick said. Strangely Akiri didn't seem upset.

"I figured as much. Very well, I come along quietly and I promise not to try anything," the brown haired woman said. The tone of her voice was very sincere and despite her occupation I was sure that she was being very truthful. Still Frederick wasn't of the same mind as everyone else seemed to be.

"Forgive me if I remain unconvinced," the man said. Akiri merely shrugged.

"Doesn't bother me any," Akiri said, "You can put shackles on me if it makes you feel better. But with or without I intend to go with you all so I can say my piece."

"I don't think restraints will be necessary," Chrom said quickly, "especially when one is in your condition," he gestured to her side that though healed had been bleeding heavily just moments ago. Akiri shook her head, disbelief written on her face.

"You're far more trusting than I deserve," the woman said earning what seemed to be a sound of agreement from Frederick, "I've been in worse situations than this, after all."

"Be that it may," Chrom said in a firm tone, "I still don't think you mean us any harm. After all there were plenty of times that you could've turned on us during the battle, and no one would have been the wiser. But you fought by our side through it all."

Akiri shook her head in disbelief once more, "Caution holds no grounds for you does it?"

"Unfortunately not," Frederick said with a sigh, "Still all manner of wariness aside those men…"

Willow tilted her head, "What about them?"

"Did you notice, milord?" the brown haired man turned to Chrom, "The brigands spoke with a Plegian accent."

"Plegian?" I asked confusion swimming in my voice, "What's that?"

I received a few stares before those giving them to me remembered my situation.

"Plegia is Ylisse's westerly neighbor," Chrom explained, "They send small bands into our territory, hoping to instigate a war."

"How rude!" Willow growled, glowering. Lissa nodded in agreement with my sister.

"And it's the poor townsfolk that suffer!" the blond girl said sympathy etched into her stance, "Totally innocent, and totally helpless…"

Frederick was quick to give the girl some reassurance, "They do have us, milady: Shepherds to protect the sheep. Do not be swept up in your anger. It will cloud your judgement."

"Yes," Akiri said with a slight nod, "and besides when push comes to shove you'd be surprised at how normal people rise to the occasion."

"I know, I know…" Lissa said shaking herself a little, "Don't worry. I'll get used to this."

 _Willow_

As soon as Lissa finished talking a man called out to our group, "Milord, please! You must stay the night! We are simple folk of simple means, but we would gladly toast your valor with a feast!"

"A most generous offer, sir, and no doubt your hospitality would be grand…" Frederick said at the same time as Lissa spoke.

"Dark meat only for me, medium well, and no salt in soup. I simply-" she was cut off as Frederick continued.

"But I'm afraid we must hurry back to Ylisstol," the brown haired man said with a smile. Lissa started looking over at him.

"Wait, what?! We're not staying?!" Lissa cried out, "But Frederick, it's nearly dark!"

Frederick smiled again, "When night falls, we'll camp. Eat off the land, make our bed of twigs, and the like…"

"Frederick?"Lissa's voice held a pleading edge to it.

"I believe you mentioned you would be 'getting used to this'?" Frederick's voice held a slightly teasing tone to it. Akiri seemed to notice it too as she spoke up.

"That's what I heard," the assassin said; voice filled with mirth.

"Sometimes I hate you," Lissa grumbled at Frederick, "And even Akiri's getting in on it!"

My brother winced a little at Frederick's manner, "You've quite the stern lieutenant there," he observed. It was clear he was wondering what we'd gotten ourselves into.

"Yeah, well, _stern_ is one name for it. I can think of a few others!" Lissa said testily.

"I'm sure," Akiri laughed.

Chrom chuckled a bit himself before speaking, "Frederick only smiles when he's about to bring down the axe."

"Duly noted… but um, are we talking figuratively or literally?" I asked a teasing tone to my voice. My brother rolled his eyes, but a smile still made its way onto his face.

"The former I'm sure," Robin said.

"Right," I said with a slight nod, "Understood."

Frederick cleared his throat, "Yo do realize I _am_ still present."

"Oh we realize," Chrom said teasingly. My brother shook his head laughter hiding in his eyes, while Lissa and Akiri were a bit more vocal in there amusement.

"Indeed we do," I couldn't help but add. A few stray giggles sprung from my lips when Frederick sent Chrom and me a very unamused look.

"Milord remains as amusing as ever," Frederick said his voice low and leveled, "Now then, shall we be going?"

"All right, all right," Chrom said in a placating fashion, "Ready to go you three? The capital isn't far," as he spoke he walked over to a group of horses. He grabbed the reins of a chestnut, and swung up onto it with a grace that spoke of years of practice. Chrom turned his mount slightly, and easily pulled his sister up behind him. I started as a hand was held out to me, and glanced up to find my brother smiling down at me from atop a buckskin gelding. After returning my brother's smile with a slightly embarrassed one of my own I took his hand, and allowed him to pull me up. Next to us Frederick had tied a beautiful black mare behind his own steed. Akiri's hands were tied to the pommel of the saddle, but she didn't seem to mind the treatment.

Chrom didn't look all that pleased, but he didn't say anything about Akiri's current situation. Probably because he didn't want to bug Frederick too much. Chrom looked between the members of our little group; silently asking if we were ready to leave again. My brother glanced back at me, and then at Akiri before turning his attention to Chrom.

"I suppose we're as ready as we'll ever be," Robin said. With that vocal confirmation Chrom began leading the way out of town, and towards the capital. As the hooves of the horses beat a rhythm on the ground I allowed myself to slip into the void of sleep.

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 **Me: Well, finally Chapter One has been completed. I hope you all enjoyed reading it, and that it didn't feel too rushed at the end. With that being said I want to apologize for taking so long to update, though I can't say that the other chapters will be posted any faster. Also I know I've already asked this, but do you guys want little previews for the chapters? There wouldn't be a lot to them, but it would give a bit of a sneak peek at what would be coming in the following chapter. In any case thank you all for reading, and feel free to leave a review in the box below. And I do not own any of the Fire Emblem games… well, the rights to them any way since I have a couple of the games, but you know what I mean. That being said I'll see you guys next time. Bye!**

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 **Me: Hey, just wanted to give you all a heads up about this poll that's on my profile page... and sorry if you thought this was an actual update. Anyways the whole point to the poll is to see what you all as my readers are wanting next. As it is regardless of what you choose I will still be working on _The Two Sides of the Wind_ until it's finished. That being said please check out the poll if you have the time.**


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